Improving Adolescent Literacy:
Chapter 1: Ensuring All Students Read, Write and Think
Teachers over time need to shift from generating questions to coaching the students to be generating the question.
The DR-TA (Directed Reading/Thinking activity is a tool used to help achieve the above goal.
Reading, writing, thinking and listening are all part of the DR-TA strategy.
Informational texts contain ideas, facts and principals that make comprehension difficult for students.
Each subject generally has a common style with inherit difficulties for the student.
Three approaches are important in developing reading comprehension (before, during and after model):
Before reading-understand the purpose, what you know, how long it will take to read the assignment
While reading-pause from time to time to see if you understand
After reading-reflect on whether you understand, see if you need to re-read any parts of the assignment
Conversation between students support literacy development
Think-Pair-Share: After a question is posed, a short reflection period follows, then students discuss possible answers with a partner, then students are invited to offer answers to the class.
Learning Stations: Collaborative work in small groups to consolidate concepts.
Jigsaw: Multiple texts are assigned that may show complementary or conflicting sides or divided sides of a topic. A Center-Activity-Rotation system (Page 10) can be used to create multiple experts on one area to report to a home group.
Reciprocal Teaching: Students groups are directed by a structured format including-Questioning, Clarifying, Summarizing and Predicting.
Chapter 2: Anticipatory Activities in Science
The demonstration
Establish a purpose-it should be directly related to the concept being studied.
The lesson should support the demonstration.
The demonstration should be repeatable.
Safety is prime.
Showmanship is great-enthusiasm is infectious.
The Thought Provoking Question
K-W-L Charts: What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned?
Vocabulary instruction needs to involve students actively involved
Students need to be able to make personal connections
Meaning needs to come from multiple sources
Vocabulary in Science:
Word sorts help students to study relationships. Open sorts are used when you want the student to create the categories. Closed sorts are when the teacher creates the category.
Chapter 4: Read-Alouds and Shared Readings
These can promote engagement and foster critical thinking skills in content area instruction.
Shared reading in Science:
Use tables, charts and graphs in presentations when these are the instruments used to convey difficult concepts in texts.
Think-Pair-Share allows the students to interpret in front of the class.
Chapter 5: Questioning Strategies
Use questions to develop comprehension.
Avoid the Initiate-Response-Evaluate Technique (IRE).
Higher order questions-teachers should strive to ask the higher levels:
Level 1-Knowledge: facts, terms, definitions
Level 2-Comprehension: compare the information
Level 3-Application: use the information to solve a problem
Level 4-Analysis: infer reasons
Level 5-Synthesis: use the information is a new way
Level 6-Evaluation: make judgments and defend opinions
Using Question Answer Relationships (QAR) in Science. QAR involves four types of questions:
Right There: Use words in the text. The answer is right in the text.
Think and Search: Question comes from the text but the students look in several places to find the answer.
Author and You: Answer not directly in the text but information in the text can guide the student to an answer.
On Your Own: Prior knowledge and experience needed to answer the question.
A technique for solving word problems. SQRQCQ:
Survey: Skim to get main idea
Question: Ask the question stated in the problem.
Reread: Identify what is given
Compute: Solve the problem.
Question: Does answer make sense
Chapter 6: Pictures-Graphic Organizers
After a word sort activity in Science, a Graphic organizer can be used to tie the terms together and show the relationships.
Chapter 7: Taking Notes
Personal opinion: Whatever form used, try to be structured and consistent.
Chapter 8: Writing
Use enough prompts to guide students in researching a topic.
Chapter 9: Assessment
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR THOUGHTS
Chapter 1: Ensuring All Students Read, Write and Think
- Teachers over time need to shift from generating questions to coaching the students to be generating the question.
- The DR-TA (Directed Reading/Thinking activity is a tool used to help achieve the above goal.
- Reading, writing, thinking and listening are all part of the DR-TA strategy.
- Informational texts contain ideas, facts and principals that make comprehension difficult for students.
- Each subject generally has a common style with inherit difficulties for the student.
- Three approaches are important in developing reading comprehension (before, during and after model):
- Before reading-understand the purpose, what you know, how long it will take to read the assignment
- While reading-pause from time to time to see if you understand
- After reading-reflect on whether you understand, see if you need to re-read any parts of the assignment
- Conversation between students support literacy development
- Think-Pair-Share: After a question is posed, a short reflection period follows, then students discuss possible answers with a partner, then students are invited to offer answers to the class.
- Learning Stations: Collaborative work in small groups to consolidate concepts.
- Jigsaw: Multiple texts are assigned that may show complementary or conflicting sides or divided sides of a topic. A Center-Activity-Rotation system (Page 10) can be used to create multiple experts on one area to report to a home group.
- Reciprocal Teaching: Students groups are directed by a structured format including-Questioning, Clarifying, Summarizing and Predicting.
Chapter 2: Anticipatory Activities in Science- The demonstration
- Establish a purpose-it should be directly related to the concept being studied.
- The lesson should support the demonstration.
- The demonstration should be repeatable.
- Safety is prime.
- Showmanship is great-enthusiasm is infectious.
- The Thought Provoking Question
- K-W-L Charts: What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned?
Chapter 3: Vocabulary Development- Vocabulary knowledge influences reading comprehension
- Vocabulary instruction needs to involve students actively involved
- Students need to be able to make personal connections
- Meaning needs to come from multiple sources
- Vocabulary in Science:
- Word sorts help students to study relationships. Open sorts are used when you want the student to create the categories. Closed sorts are when the teacher creates the category.
Chapter 4: Read-Alouds and Shared Readings- These can promote engagement and foster critical thinking skills in content area instruction.
- Shared reading in Science:
- Use tables, charts and graphs in presentations when these are the instruments used to convey difficult concepts in texts.
- Think-Pair-Share allows the students to interpret in front of the class.
Chapter 5: Questioning Strategies- Use questions to develop comprehension.
- Avoid the Initiate-Response-Evaluate Technique (IRE).
- Higher order questions-teachers should strive to ask the higher levels:
- Level 1-Knowledge: facts, terms, definitions
- Level 2-Comprehension: compare the information
- Level 3-Application: use the information to solve a problem
- Level 4-Analysis: infer reasons
- Level 5-Synthesis: use the information is a new way
- Level 6-Evaluation: make judgments and defend opinions
- Using Question Answer Relationships (QAR) in Science. QAR involves four types of questions:
- Right There: Use words in the text. The answer is right in the text.
- Think and Search: Question comes from the text but the students look in several places to find the answer.
- Author and You: Answer not directly in the text but information in the text can guide the student to an answer.
- On Your Own: Prior knowledge and experience needed to answer the question.
- A technique for solving word problems. SQRQCQ:
- Survey: Skim to get main idea
- Question: Ask the question stated in the problem.
- Reread: Identify what is given
- Compute: Solve the problem.
- Question: Does answer make sense
Chapter 6: Pictures-Graphic Organizers- After a word sort activity in Science, a Graphic organizer can be used to tie the terms together and show the relationships.
Chapter 7: Taking Notes- Personal opinion: Whatever form used, try to be structured and consistent.
Chapter 8: Writing- Use enough prompts to guide students in researching a topic.
Chapter 9: AssessmentPLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR THOUGHTS